Logistics giant DHL elevated to EPA's top 100 list

DHL, a leading global express and logistics company, is ranked for the first time on the US Environmental Protection Agency's list of the National Top 100 users of green electric power.

Ranking 27, DHL is buying nearly 210,000 renewable energy certificates (RECs) from wind farms to offset 100 per cent of its expected consumption in the US this year.

This is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of more than 30,000 passenger vehicles, or the emissions from electricity used by 20,000 average American homes annually, according to the EPA.

The US unit's policy is also in line with Deutsche Post DHL's global GoGreen ambition to improve the whole group's carbon efficiency by 30 per cent by 2020 from 2007.

DHL in the US, as well as Deutsche Post DHL globally, invests in new technologies and is upgrading to more fuel-efficient aircraft. It is purchasing electric, hybrid and alternative fuel trucks and vans and adding fuel-conservation features to its facilities.

Deutsche Post DHL has improved its overall carbon efficiency by 18 per cent from 2007.

"Our REC initiative is offsetting the impact of DHL's electricity consumption in the US, and is one more element in the company's worldwide efforts to directly and indirectly reduce carbon emissions.

"These certificates are just one of many levers DHL uses to advance our sustainability goals," Christof Ehrhart, executive vice president for corporate communications at Deutsche Post DHL, said yesterday.

DHL's green power commitment also qualifies the company for the EPA's Green Power Leadership Club of organisations that have significantly exceeded the EPA's minimum requirements.

Members must use 10 times the Green Power Partnership's minimum green power requirement throughout the organisation.

DHL is also ranked on the EPA's 100-per-cent Green Power Users list for using green power to meet all of its US electricity need.

"EPA is excited to welcome DHL as a Green Power Partner," said Mollie Lemon, manager of EPA's Green Power Partnership.

"By opting to purchase renewable energy, DHL is helping to grow the nation's clean energy economy and reducing harmful carbon pollution. The company's impressive commitment to use 100-per-cent green power serves as an example of leadership for others to follow."

Wind farms feeding the US power grid receive the RECs, attesting to the generation of clean, renewable energy. They were certified by Green-e Energy, the nation's leading certification programme for renewable energy.

The wind farms can sell the RECs to other firms to help offset emissions produced by electric power generated with fossil fuels. Each certificate represents 1 megawatt hour of electricity consumption, or 1,000 kilowatt hours.

The RECs were acquired by JustGreen, a subsidiary of Just Energy Group, and then sold to DHL.

"By increasing voluntary demand for green power, JustGreen is helping organisations meet their greenhouse gas reduction goals. Organisations throughout North America have access to our Green-e certified RECs and are able to join in our mission to help stop global warming," said GP Manalac, JustGreen executive vice president.